Earth Day 2020: Fashion Brands Continue Focus on Green Marketing
To celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day this week, we look at the increasingly pressing topic of green marketing in the fashion industry. Recent studies have shown that environmentally conscious consumers continue to grow in number and demand products that have a reduced effect on the environment. To meet this demand and as part of social responsibility initiatives, fashion brands are increasing “sustainable” practices, recycling materials, upcycling other products, and working to reduce textile waste and environmental harms. As companies look to communicate those efforts to consumers, they must proceed with caution to avoid allegations of “greenwashing” or overstating the environmental benefits.
- Substantiate all objective claims;
- Use clear and conspicuous disclosures;
- Specify how the claim applies (e.g., product, package, or service);
- Do not overstate environmental impact; and
- Clearly identify points of comparison.
- Qualify “Green,” “Eco-Friendly” and similar claims to identify the particular benefit and use those claims only if the benefit is significant.
- Use “Recycled Content” claims only for materials that have been recovered or diverted from the waste stream during the manufacturing process or after consumer use. Advertising for products made only partly from recycled content should include the percentage of recycled content (e.g., “Made from 30% recycled plastic bottles”).
- Avoid “Free-Of” claims (e.g., “free of dyes”) unless:
- The product doesn’t have more than trace amounts or background levels of the substance;
- The amount of substance present doesn’t cause harm that consumers typically associate with the substance;
- The substance wasn’t added to the product intentionally; and
- The product doesn’t include a different substance that poses a similar environmental risk.
- Qualify claims about “Renewable Material” to identify the material used and explain why it is renewable.

Tags: Earth Day, ESG, Fashion and Retail, FTC Green Guides